Review Discretion Given to Supermarket Operators on Use of Funds Collected from Plastic Bag Charges

31 Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the National Environment Agency will review its stance in relation to allowing supermarket operators to have discretion over how the funds collected from supermarket plastic bag charges are used; and (b) if not, why not.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Supermarket operators who are obligated to implement the disposable carrier bag charge are required to publish information annually on the number of disposable carrier bags supplied, amount of proceeds collected, and how the proceeds are used. This ensures transparency and public accountability.

The large majority of proceeds collected have been channelled towards environmental or social causes. We are heartened by the attention that non-governmental organisations and the public have applied on the operators. This scrutiny will encourage operators to use their proceeds more judiciously. The government will monitor the use of proceeds by the supermarket operators and continue to encourage them to channel the proceeds to environmental or social causes.